Nails Inc Summer Collection

Nails Inc Summer Collection

I've recently been liking pastel and bright colours for summery nails and I couldn't pass the opportunity to buy the nails inc spring summer collection that has been recently released. This collections consists of 6 bottles of 4ml each, thus the bottle size is sort of a sample size but it is a great way to try various colours without the nail polish drying out before half of it has been used up.

The colours are; pink, mint, orange, light blue, shocking pink and nude brown.

The first coat doesn't give full coverage unless you pile on a load of nail polish, but with 2 slim coats the nail is covered up nicely and the colours really stand out. I really like all the colours they are amazing for spring summer and all of the colours in this set are very popular this season, thus this set includes sort of all in one.

I do have similar nail polishes from other brands, but I will be comparing nail polishes in another post.

Excuse my boney hands and messy nails :/

Until next time :)

Healthy Foods: Salmon

SALMON

If you are not sure what these posts are, read this

A little bit of History:
The fascinating story of the salmon follows this fish as it travels thousands of miles from its birthplace only to return withing five years to spawn and die. Traditional salmon preservation methods include smoking and salting

Benefits:
Salmon is high in Omega-3 acids, a good source of the B-Vitamin group, niacin and selenium. The composition of the human brain is more than 60 per cent fat, making salmon with its high levels of omega 3 a true 'brain food'. Some nutritionists and dermatologists also claim that eating salmon everyday can give you a 'face lift', as it plumps out and feeds the skin

Tips:

• Purchase wild rather than farmed salmon which are believed to contain dangerous carcinogenics
• Treat yourself firth thing in the morning by adding smoked salmon to your scrambled egg on toast
• Instead of your usual work sandwich, enjoy a bagel with cream cheese and slivers of smoked salmon
• The Japanese have one of the healthiest diets in the world: follow their example and tuck in to raw salmon
• Create a tasty snack by lightly broiling a salmon fillet and serving with salad and a wedge of lemon

Health Foods: Tea

TEA

If you are not sure what these posts are, read this

A little bit of History:
Leaves of the Camellia sinesis plant are harvested for tea: green tea leaves are lightly steamed, while black tea is oxidised before the leaves are dried. The legendary Chinese Emperor Shen Nong discovered the beverage when a few leaves of the tea tree fell into a pot of boiling water.

Benefits:
Believed by the ancients to be an 'elixir of life', scientific reseach now supports this claim. Tea (both green and black) is high in plant=derived antioxidants, polyphenols, which help protect against heart disease and cancer, as well as fighting free radical cell damage

Tips:

• The latest incarnation of tea leaves is white tea, believe to be even more beneficial than green tea
• Spice up your cuppa the Indian way, adding cardamon, pepper, cinnamon with milk and honey
• Enjoy a medicinal flu-fighting beverage by adding a slice of ginger to your morning brew
• Drink iced-green tea this summer in tall ice filled tumbler glasses with a slice of lemon or sprig of mint

Current Favourites: Daily Make Up

My current make up routine is pretty simple and it only consists of a couple of products. I will be splitting my current favorite daily make up products into 4 sections; Base, Eyes, Cheeks, Lips.


Base:

During the day I don't usually use any base products unless I am going somewhere special or have a special meeting. But when I do I usually use the following

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in shade 52 - I usually apply this with the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush, although this a bit small for a full face of foundation thus I need to invest in a better brush.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream - Applied with Real Techniques Buffing Brush



Eyes:

My eye routine is pretty simple but it is the routine I don't go out without. It mainly consist of 2 products and 1 tool which consist of the following:

• Natural Collection Eye Pencil in black
• Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers
• Essence Maximum definition volume mascara (with a flexible brush)

I don't use eye shadow daily, but when I do I usually use my Urban Decay Naked Basics


Cheeks:

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in shade  006 Warm Beige - Applied with Real Techniques Buffing Brush

The Body Shop All in one cheek colour shade Bubblegum - Applied with Real Techniques Contour Brush and finished with the Real Techniques Stippling brush (Apologies for the broken blusher but I just dropped it before taking the picture :(   )


Lips:

These tend to change daily but for every day makeup I usually use lip balms rather than lipsticks and my current favourites are Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains


Until next time :)

Current Skin Care Routine

My skincare routine changes according to weather, skin conditions and current preferences. I do tend to change my routine quite often, but I've kept pretty much the same routine  for over a month now, and I did notice an improvement in my skin so I thought I should document it :)

I will be splitting my Routine into 3 sections; AM, PM and Alternate Evenings.



AM

CLEANSE: using Pai -Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, I will first massage it well into my face then remove it with a warm  flannel

TONE:  Pai - Lotus and Orange Blossom BioAffinity Toner, I usually spray this on and leave it to dry before applying anything else

SERUM: Caudalie - Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Hydrating Serum, I use a couple of drops and work it into my face

MOISTURISE: Nip+Fab Day Cream, this is the next step after the serum, and I also work this into my face and allow it to absorb before applying make up


PM

During this routine I always double cleanse to make sure all makeup and traces of dirt are removed.

1st CLEANSE: using Emma Hardie - Amazing Face Natural Lift Cleansing Balm, I massage this well into my face, usually leave it on for 5-10 mins then remove it with a warm flannel

2nd CLEANSE: using Pai -Camellia and Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser again with a  flannel

TONE:  Pai - Lotus and Orange Blossom BioAffinity Toner, I usually spray this on and leave it to dry before applying anything else

SERUM: Caudalie - Vinoperfect complexion correcting radiance serum, I use a couple of drops and work it into my face

MOISTURISE: Caudalie - Vinoperfect cell renewal night cream, this is the next step after the serum, and I also work this into my face and allow it to absorb


Alternate Evenings

Every 3 nights I usually skip the serum and moisturize steps and instead after the toner I use ALPHA H - Liquid Gold. This is an intensive treatment which is most effective if used without applying anything on it. I apply liquid gold on cotton pad and pat it on my face same way I would with a toner.

Twice a week I also replace my second cleanse with ALPHA-H Micro Cleanse with Glycolic and Rice Bran. This contain rice bran which gives a scrubbing feel thus it is sort of a manual scrub and it also contains Glycolic which is a type of chemical scrub which gives the skin a good scrub and leave it feeling clean. If you suffer from sensitive skin, I wouldn't recommend it as it stings on sensitive patches. I tend not to use it during days when my skin is really sensitive.


Side Note:

I do tend to suffer from sensitive skin which is prone to eczema breakouts. I usually skip the Liquid Gold treatment on very sensitive days and I don't use it on eczema patches but I do tend to use it around the patches.


Until next time :)

Healthy Foods: Yoghurt

YOGHURT

If you are not sure what these posts are, read this

A little bit of History:

Made by adding lactic acid bacteria to milk, yoghurt is a fermented dairy product with a slightly sour, but mild flavour. Its original Turkish name, Yoghurmak, means 'to thicken' and it has been consumed in Middle Eastern, Asian and Eastern European countries for centuries.

Benefits:

Live yoghurt provides the most benefits - the bacterial cultures boost your immune system and help maintain healthy digestion. As well as being a good source of calcium, it also contains vitamins B2, B5 and B12, biotin, zinc, selenum, potassium and protein - a combination of nutrients that makes it a complete health supporting food.


Tips:

• Spoon your yoghurt into tomato and vegetable soups and stir
• use as a breakfast topping, with crushed nuts and honey on muesli or fruit salads
• Server with a sprig of mint as a side dish to help cool down a red hot curry
• Mix with water and sugar to make the Indian drinking yoghurt lassi, or use to thicken fruit smoothies

Healthy Foods: Honey

HONEY

If you are not sure what these posts are, read this

A little bit of History:

Apiculture dates back to 700BC and ancient cultures regarded the sweet nectar of the bees as sacred. That it is still enjoyed today is thanks to the hardworking bee, who collects flower nectar in its mouth and mixes it with its saliva to make honey

Benefits:

Raw honey is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Organic brands may also contain proplis, which are among the recently researched phytonutrients believed to be anti-cancer and tumor fighting compounds.

Tips:

• Honey is usually pasteurised, but raw brands are available from health food stores and farmer's markets; a darker colour also indicates richer flavour
• Use honey as an alternative to refined sugars in your tea and coffee
• Stir into plain youghurt and add chopped dates as a simple Eastern dessert
• Enjoy drizzled over banana or peanut butter on whole grain toast
• Melt a teaspoon into cider vinegar and shake to use as a salad dressing

Healthy Foods: Almonds

ALMONDS

If you are not sure what these posts are, read this

A little bit of History:

Almonds are technically the seed of the fruit, not nut, of the almond tree. This tasty seed is freshest suring midsummer

Benefits:

Almonds contain monunsaturated fats that help reduce heart disease and lower your cholesterol. These fats are also thought to help people control weight and are considered an effective replacement to low-calorie meals that are full of carbohydrates. The trace minerals in almonds such as manganese, copper and riboflavin, boost your energy stores. Biotin, a B vitamin, keeps your skin healthy and maintains the nervous system.

Tips:

• When roasting almonds keep the oven at around 100 degrees to preserve all the healthy oils.
• Try serving some roasted almonds mixed with a collection of green beans
• If you want to eat something a little unusual but very tasty, opt for almonds mixed with pumpkin seeds
• Add an unexpected crunchy twist to your favourite rice dishes by including toasted almonds
• To give yourself a quick energy boost during the day, snack on some roasted almonds

Healthy Foods: Intro

The idea behind these kinds of posts came from a personal preference, and I do intend to try and keep these posts updated as much as possible.

I am really into healthy foods and I try to eat and snack as healthy as possible. Although this is not always the case I really like researching and reading about healthy foods and how to include them in my daily diet and I thought I should share some of my knowledge and findings with you :)

I do hope you will find these interesting :)

Until next time :)

Healthy Foods: Walnuts

WALNUTS

If you are not sure what these kind of posts are, read this.

A little bit of history:

The ornamental walnut tree has been cultivated for centuries and available in many varieties from English (Persian) walnut, black and white walnut; the English walnut actually originated in India and countries near the Caspian Sea.

Benefits:

An excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, walnuts benefit cardiovascular protection and have anti-inflammatory effects, aiding skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Their content of copper and manganese aid in the production of antioxidants, helping to protect cells from free radical damage.

Tips:

• Purchase whole walnuts that feel heavy in their shell and ensure the shell has not been cracked or stained, which are signs of hidden mould.
• Add texture to your desserts by sprinkling crushed walnuts over ice cream and drizzling with honey.
• Toss your walnuts into a freshly, grated raw carrot salad and add a dessert spoon of chopped raisins.
• Eat a small handful of walnuts as a healthy, energizing snack, which will keep you away from sugary foods.

First Impressions: Emma Hardie Amazing Face ~ Natural lift and sculpt Moringa cleansing balm

I've been looking forward for this cleanser for a long time. I've been hearing a lot of raves about this product and nearly all reviews were of excellent ratings.

My thoughts on this product are pretty much the same. To be honest I was expecting the texture of this product to be much thicker and solid, but infact this has a really soft texture with a light and refreshing smell. Basically this is an oil based balm, it feels very soft and nice on my skin. I usually hate the feeling of oil on my skin but this balm is completely different, it feels so nice and refreshing.
I tend to suffer from eczema on my face and when I do have these eczema break outs, it is very difficult to find a cleanser that does not sting on my skin, even ones for sensitive skin usually sting and leave me with red patches on my fave, but this balm was different.

Recent Purchases: June

One of my favorite posts to watch are recent purchases or hauls, so I thought I would make one of my own.

These are some of my purchases (within the past 2 weeks).

Elemental Herbology: Purify & Soothe Facial Cleansing Balm

This is a thick consistency cleansing balm, which does exactly what it says on the tube; purify and soothe. 

When applying to the face it will transform into an oily texture which is really soothing, even when I have eczema breakouts, which I suffer from. This balm left my skin feel cleansed and soothed at its worst times. I am currently using this balm daily, as my eczema is currently at its worst and this is the only cleanser that does not irritate my skin.